Venom, Love and Dancing Shoes
by Shadow-Phoenix-Rider
Summary: Captain Zavvi and Corso Riggs manage to find some quiet time together on Quesh, of all places. Alternate title of 'The Quesh Accord' if this one is too silly for you. Contains minor spoilers to the Quesh storyline and also to the Smuggler storyline.


When Senator Dodonna told Captain Zavvi and her crew that their next mission was on the toxic planet Quesh, the Twi'lek's first thought was that the Senator was getting her revenge on them after they'd bunked off their duties after their mission on Balmorra. This planet of various shades of orange and vomit green made Taris look inviting; at least the latter's atmosphere was mostly breathable, whilst Quesh's was entirely made up of Quesh venom, which tried its best to kill whichever organism was foolish enough to breathe it in. However, the Republic were working with the Hutts to refine it into powerful adrenals, before the Empire had discovered the operation and now everyone was scrapping over this poisonous lump of rock, to which Zavvi and her entire crew thought was exceedingly foolish, despite the potential rich resources.

It hadn't taken long for the constant injections against the venom to wear on Zavvi and Corso as they travelled, especially for Corso as he had to take his straight to his neck, otherwise he'd have to go through the even more tedious approach of stripping off his armour plating and gauntlets and then rolling up his cortosis underarmour for access to his arm veins. Zavvi figured it was better just to use his neck as only the underarmour needed to be shifted, though a steady hand was required to prevent bleeding. It was the first time the both of them wore helmets, though the Twi'lek wasn't using the conventional sort, for obvious reasons. Hers was basically a face mask and goggles, whilst Corso had found a spare Republic trooper helmet for his own uses.

After a long day of potshotting Imperials, cultivating a healthy distaste for the planet and Hutts and saving the backsides of some hapless smugglers that the Voidwolf was attempting to smite (including Beyrl Thorne, which made Zavvi happy to see she was still around), the partners in not-crime decided to go back to the cantina in the Republic base and find a room for the night, considering they'd found themselves somehow roped into the plans to attempt to kick the Empire off the planet. As much as they didn't want to stay on the planet for any longer than they had to, they figured it was better to stay the night on planet just this once, as Zavvi figured their gear would need a thorough cleansing (and or burning) to rid it of the awful stench of toxins and other things she'd rather not think about. Better to do it all in one lump than multiple times.

After some arguing and insisting that if the Republic wanted their help to storm a stolen Hutt palace, they better give the two of them a decent room so they could get some rest, they were given a room that had a sophisticated air filter system so the air inside the rooms was actually breathable without the use of injections. Though their gear had been tainted by the poisoned mud and water across the planet, it wouldn't harm them unless they got it in their wounds or mouths.  
Still, as a precaution, they decided to keep their injections going, just in case.

The room wasn't very special; there was a bed just big enough for two, a refresher, a table, chair and a bedside table. Still, it was better than the conditions outside.  
"I'll be glad to see the back of this place." Zavvi muttered, pulling off her 'helmet' and rubbing away the sweat that had beaded on her face.  
"I'm with you on that, Captain." Corso replied, his voice metallic thanks to his helmet, which he was grateful to be rid of, his dreadlocks writhing furiously as they were freed from the small space. He combed his fingers through his locks to calm them, tying them back up again. "I never thought there'd be a place which would've make me wanna go back to Taris."  
"I know, right?" The Twi'lek said. "This place is even worse than Tatooine, and that's saying something." She surveyed their quarters and sighed. "At least we just have one more day to endure it and then we can go to Hoth." The snort underlined the sarcasm of the statement, which made Corso smirk slightly.  
"I think I'd rather freeze than have to breathe poison, Captain." He spoke, rubbing his neck. "My neck is real sore, and not for the right reasons."  
"Yeah, sorry about that, it's just-" Zavvi halted mid-sentence as she fully realized what Corso had just said. She gave him a look, and she knew he was trying not to grin. "Hang on, what did you just say?"  
The grin began to crawl over his lips, though there was a slight blush on the top of his cheeks.  
"Well, I mean, I'd prefer if my neck was hurting for another reason, not 'cos I've been havin' needles poked in there all day." He explained, stuttering slightly as he added; "I-If you know what I mean, of course."

The smuggler laughed softly, blushing a little herself.  
"I know what you mean, farm boy. I just...Didn't expect you to say something like that." A wry smile. "I'm still getting used to this new side of you."  
Corso tipped his head to the side.  
"It's not really new," he murmured, "it's just...I hadn't had a person to show it to."  
At that, her smile softened and her look became thoughtful.  
"I...hadn't thought of it that way." She said, one lekku end twitching slightly. "I'm still new to us being...you know."

She heard his armour make the soft 'shuff' noise of movement, sensed his presence behind her and then felt his hands gently come to rest on her waist, a wisp of breath coiling past her lekku.  
"So am I." He murmured softly, his deep tone making his voice rumble slightly.  
She sighed, moving back so his hands drifted to her stomach.  
"Still don't know why I deserve you. Are you sure there's not some more deserving girl out there who needs you?"  
"I love you, Zavvi. I'm staying here."  
"Are you sure?" She felt a flash of tension shoot through his body.  
"Of course." He turned her around to face him gently, and she saw the glimmers of fear and confusion in his brown eyes. "Aren't you?"  
"I just..." She couldn't bring herself to look at him. "I don't know, I just...I don't want to saddle you with, with...me. With my problems."  
"Zavvi, don't do this to yourself." Corso said, lowering his head to her. "The past'll drown you if you let it."  
She looked up at him then, a retort burning on the tip of her tongue. But her mind silenced her, reminding her of who she was talking to. She was talking to Corso Riggs, the boy who went into the maw of war when he was just fourteen. The boy who had lost his family to the guns of the separatists. Who had lost his friends to treachery. And had walked the fine line between life and death more than once, before punching death in the face and telling it to wait its turn.  
Yet if it wasn't for his scars, you would never know. A part of Zavvi wilted with shame; how was it that he had suffered through worse than she could imagine, and yet it was her who was wallowing in the mire of self-pity and angst. How had he not gotten angry at her? She still couldn't understand how Corso could have an almost endless supply of patience for her, but she was infinitely glad he did. How else could he have put up with her?

"...I...I'm gonna need you to help me with that..." She said softly, finding it easy to admit that in front of him, knowing he wouldn't judge her unfairly. Corso lowered his head, gently nuzzling her.  
"I think I can do that." He replied, and she felt his smile against her, which caused a smile of hers to bloom.  
"Considering what I've been teaching you, I guess it's fair payback." The smuggler commented, giggling at the mercenary's blush and nervous chuckle.  
"Y-yeah, I guess so." He said, releasing her from his grip. "Anyway, er, do you wanna take the 'fresher first?" He asked, trying to wriggle free from the subject. However, his captain wasn't going to let him get away that easily.  
"I'd rather you go first, Corso." She said, a grin dancing on the corners of her mouth. He looked back at her, an eyebrow quirking upwards.  
"I have a feelin' there's a reason behind that." He replied, trying to look serious but failing utterly.  
"Well, it's not like I want to ogle you or anything..." Zavvi spoke mildly, blushing slightly. Corso's eyebrows raised so high they almost shot off his head. He was blushing even harder!  
"Boy, Cap'n," Corso exclaimed as he rubbed the back of his neck, "I...I'm not used to, um, a beautiful woman saying that to me..."  
Zavvi chuckled.  
"I'm surprised. You are handsome Corso, and if other people don't think that then they have no idea of what handsomeness is." She said, wondering if the Mantellian could get any more red.  
"T-Thank you, Captain. I-I'll go get showered..." Was his stammered response, which made Zavvi laugh.

* * *

Despite her teasing, Zavvi didn't actually expect it when Corso emerged from the refresher a few minutes later clad only in a towel. He was a bit nervous about it, but when her gobsmacked gaze was rooted to him as he crossed the room, it gave him a shot of pride. It was a bit of a shame he couldn't do it on the _Skylark_ because of the rest of the crew, but he would be sure to do it more, if she liked it, of course.  
She didn't say anything, but Corso felt her eyes on him even as took her turn, stroking his ego nicely like a pampered nekarr cat.

He searched through his things, his mind chattering to fill the quietness of the room. A day hadn't yet fully passed since Corso and Zavvi had admitted their love for each other, and yet it felt like they'd been together for a week. Maybe even longer. It was like all this affection and love had been held back behind a dam, and as soon as they'd acknowledged it, it had all come bursting free. He only wished that they'd had more time to enjoy each others company before being thrown back into the fire, but Senator Dodonna had found them out in the end, and there wasn't any going back from that now.  
But even so, Corso didn't mind so much; he was safe in the knowledge that Zavvi loved him and he'd be by her side no matter what happened, either in the toxic air of Quesh or trudging through the snows of Hoth, their next destination. So long as they were together, he was sure they could get through anything the galaxy threw at them.

The mercenary found his sleeping clothes eventually, slipping into them as he heard the refresher door swish open. He looked over to her, and his mind promptly went blank.  
Corso hadn't thought that maybe his action would be mirrored by his devious captain, eager to pay him back. She'd deliberately chosen a towel that barely managed to cover her, the bottom edge alarmingly high, but tantalisingly low enough to hide. The top edge wasn't much better, only just managing to contain her breasts.  
Corso knew it was very rude to stare at a lady, but he just couldn't stop himself; he found each time he tried to wrench his eyes away from one part of her body, his gaze would get stuck somewhere else. And then his imagination kicked in and sent all available blood flow careening into his loins, making him swallow hard. _Looks like I ain't sleepin' comfy tonight._

The Mantellian was amused at the Twi'lek's innocent walk over to her things; he wasn't dumb enough not to realize she'd done that completely on purpose to rile him up. In truth, he'd expected her to swagger, content in her victory and lording it over him, probably with the exaggerated hip sway he'd seen cantina dancers do, not her pretending she wasn't doing anything bad at all. It was a combination of curiosity at this action and a pure mix of love and desire that kept the young man's eyes fixed to her, thinking to himself; _how does she keep doin' this so easily? She's just so beautiful and gorgeous and- _A sudden realization came over him as she stopped by her own things, glancing over to him with a glint of mischief in her eyes. _Hang on a minute, she's not gonna crouch, she's going to bend...over...  
_And with that, his thoughts derailed again.

Despite the fact that Corso had seen the smuggler naked twice, he hadn't gotten used it, not by a long shot. Plus the fact he found her utterly stunning, right now Zavvi only had to flash at him to hamstring any sensible thought processes he was trying to have. And clearly she was basking in her power over him, though she knew it would eventually fade. It wouldn't be too long before they would be on equal ground, as Corso continued to build up confidence and experience.

Still, it was a good to give the mercenary a taste of his own medicine, though she knew he probably appreciated it deep down, or at least below his waistline. Whether he would go with his impulses or somehow reign them in with some of his impressive self-control, she didn't know or mind. Corso was still finding his feet and she wasn't going to rush him; she would help him whenever he needed it, thought this didn't mean she'd stop teasing him, not by a long shot.

As she pulled out her sleepwear, she heard Corso make a soft groan.  
"Ah, you're driving me crazy, Captain." He said, making her smile at the tremble in his voice.  
"Are you going to do anything about that?" She asked, keeping her voice a careful neutral so she could let the young man make his decision irregardless of her influence.  
There was a rather long pause, which Zavvi used to change into a tank top and soft trousers, hanging her towel back up.  
"I...Do you want to?" He asked tentatively. She turned to look at him; whilst his body looked physically ready, she couldn't be exactly sure.  
"I do, but I'm fine if you don't want to, Corso." She smiled. "If you don't feel like it, don't do it. We can still sleep together without having to have sex."  
"You, you sure?" The mercenary spoke. "I mean, I wouldn't want to get in your space or disappoint you or anythin-"  
"You wouldn't." The Twi'lek replied, walking over to him and taking his hands. "In fact, well," she blushed, "it's kinda nice, sleeping next to you. You're warm."  
Corso chuckled deeply, also blushing. His hands curled around her, enfolding them with warmth.  
"Really? Well, uh, I like it too. You're warm too. And, er, nice to hold, if that makes sense."  
Zavvi blushed more, her light blue skin starting to turn purple.  
"Yeah, it does, it makes sense. That's really nice for you to say so."

A pause.  
"Hey, Corso?"  
"Hmm?" The Mantellian tilted his head to the side curiously.  
"I was thinking that maybe...Maybe you could, um..." She hesitated. "No, this feels too soon..."  
"What feels too soon?" He squeezed her hands slightly, thumbs brushing over her skin. "Please tell me, Zavvi. It might not be."  
"I just..." She scuffed her bare foot against the floor. "I was just wondering that maybe later, when we're not running about the place shooting Imps and that, that maybe..." She swallowed. "Maybe you'd like to, well, live in my quarters? With me? I mean, I thought about it because we're lovers and such, but if you want to want your space and you want to keep staying in the crew quarters that's totally fine, I'd understand, I don't want to force you or anything."  
"Zavvi, I..." He swallowed. "I'd love to. I didn't wanna ask because...I didn't want to intrude and that."  
"Oh no, you wouldn't be!" She exclaimed. "Well, I don't wanna do it straight away, but when things quieten down, yes. You could move your stuff in and then there'd be more room for the others and such..."  
"Yeah." He grinned. "I think afta Hoth I'm gonna be allergic to cold for a while."  
"Oh yeah." Then she caught his innuendo. "Hey, I thought you weren't feeling up to that tonight!"  
"I was tellin' the truth, but I'm allowed to tease you, aren't I?" He chuckled. Zavvi huffed.  
"I guess I've done enough of that to you. I'd be unfair to say you weren't allowed to do that to me." She said, folding her arms, looking thoughtful.

Corso lowered his head, brushing his nose against hers. She lifted her head up to catch his lips with hers; a barely-there kiss that whispered of promise and love.  
"Shall we go to bed then?" He asked, running his hands down her arms to coax them from their locked position.  
"I think the question is more; what are we going to do once we're there?" The Twi'lek said, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. Corso ducked his head, blushing slightly.  
"I meant what I said earlier, Zavvi. I dunno why, but...I just don't feel like it..." He murmured. The smuggler smiled, running her hand reassuringly up his arm, feeling the corded muscle under her fingertips.  
"That's fine, Cor. No-one is gonna have the energy to do stuff like that every night." She smiled. "Even though I'd like to challenge you sometime."  
Corso grinned.  
"Challenge me, Captain? What to?"  
"When you've got more experience under your belt," she sniggered at her joke, "we'll get the rest of the crew off the ship, and then we'll see how long you can last before you collapse and fall asleep." Zavvi grinned widely. Corso did blush, but there was a gleam to his eyes she liked.  
"Heh, we'll see about that, Captain." He said, a smirk dancing on his lips.  
"I'm sure we will." She commented. "But I'll bet you'll be sleeping before me."  
"I dunno know about that, Captain. I think you'll be eatin' your words."  
"Makes sense, considering what we'll be doing." Zavvi grinned at him, watching his blush darken and his posture becoming a little more uncomfortable.  
"I guess I shouldn't've said it that way..." He mumbled, rubbing the side of his neck. The smuggler hummed her amusement, and wrapped her arms around his waist.  
"Well, that's for the future anyway. I look forward to it."  
"Me too." He replied, kissing her head. "Do you wanna take this off?" He asked, nudging her headband with his thumb.  
"Oh, yeah...I don't think anyone will see me without it..." Zavvi nodded, slipping it off and setting it down nearby. Corso frowned slightly.

"You're really worried about people judging you 'bout that scar, aren't you?" Her hand quickly moved to it, but he noticed she was reluctant to touch it, her fingertips hovering inches from the stretched, knotted skin.  
The lack of answer was all he needed to hear, and the fact her eyes glanced away from him, looking at something on the floor that seemed more interesting. Corso sighed, gently kissing the mark, his heart twisting as he felt her flinch at his touch. It was a strange juxtaposition; she was strong and confident like a jungle cat, but yet there was part of her that reminded him of a nervy ronto, twitching and ready to bolt at the slightest provocation. He hesitated to call that side of her 'weak', especially knowing how dangerous she could be when her anger overtook her, but he felt that it was pulling her down, almost handicapping her. Corso didn't know if he could ever wipe this fear away from her, but he figured it was worth a try; he didn't want to see her haunted by this forever.

"You can't wish it away, Zavvi." The mercenary murmured softly, holding her close. "It's like running from your shadow; it's always there, even if you can't see it. I know you hate it, but...It's not gonna go away."  
"Tell me something I don't know." She grumbled bitterly.  
"But you pretend like it don't exist. Sure, it's not something I'd bring up normally, but..." His thumbs traced her cheek tattoo. "It's a part of you now. You can't always be try'n live in the past, because..." He took a breath. "Because that's...that's not now." He finished lamely.  
"State the obvious."  
"Look, I ain't very good at this, Zavvi. I'm not your sister, I couldn't tell you the secrets of the galaxy. But I know this." He slide a hand under her jaw and coaxed her head up to look into his eyes. "You've gotta accept that what happened to you is stayin' with you fer good. I know it's not what you wanna hear, but..." His brown eyes closed. "I couldn't spend my life mourning my family. I had to move on, to, to take down the bastards who took them from me." A sigh-snort, a flicker of anger crossing his face. "And then I had to move on from that too. And guess what? You helped me. You stopped me shooting a guy who was begging for his life. You stopped me from doing what seps did." When his eyes opened again, the Twi'lek could see they were glistening. "I feel like I oughta pay you back. I can't watch you let this eat you up inside. I know...I know I'll never know what it feels like. But you..." By some sheer force of will, his tears stayed put. "I can't lose you. Not again. Not like I lost them."

Her heart quailed as Corso spoke, and she felt her own eyes filling, yet she wasn't as successful at stopping the tears from rolling down her face.  
"You won't...I'm not going anywhere, Cor..." She murmured quietly, but also with an urgency she couldn't control. "You're stuck with me, farm boy, you hear? You and me are in for the long haul, and there's no way you're gonna wriggle outta this."  
Had the moment not been so emotionally charged, Zavvi would have injected her bravado into her voice. Right now though, she was more insistent, needing him to know that he was no longer going to have to grope through a fog, wondering if she ever felt anything toward him and if he was going to wander lost forever. She loved him and wanted him to know that, in a desperate bid to pull a blanket of security around her, a security that Corso and his love could provide her, a bandage to plaster the bleeding mess that was her mind.

He was right; she couldn't spend the rest of her life running and hiding from the emptiness sitting in her head. If Corso had managed to bury the shades of his family's death, why couldn't she accept that she would have the void in her head, and that so long as she kept herself from getting too angry, no-one would be hurt. It would take time, but she could do it, especially if she had him by her side.

The Mantellian smiled, glimpsing the embers of his feisty captain in her words.  
"I wouldn't dream of it, Zee." His impromptu nickname for her sent warm ripples through her heart, soothing her anxiety. "Come on, let's go to bed." The young man stooped, effortlessly sweeping the Twi'lek into his arms. Though she usually squirmed and demanded him to put her down, this time she let him, resting her ear against his heartbeat and wiping away her stray tears.

Corso slipped them under the covers, making sure to keep Zavvi's lekku out of the way of anything that could hurt them, threading them carefully behind the pillows, just like how he'd seen her do it. She almost purred with contentment as his hands brushed over the sensitive organs, shivers slinking up and down the headtails. He settled down in a fairly comfortable position (the bed was very average), holding her up close to him.  
"Don't think 'bout it any more, Zavvi. We'll get to it. There's no hurry." He said, stroking her cheek lovingly. "Right now, you need to worry more about gettin' to sleep."  
Zavvi lifted her eyes to him, lidded of their own accord. Even though she wasn't trying for it, Corso found her expression to be rather seductive, stirring unwelcome interest from below.  
"You worried about me not getting my beauty sleep?" She asked, a slight grin playing on her lips.  
"You're beautiful enough not to need beauty sleep." Corso replied, eyes twinkling as at her slight blush.  
"So is that what your excuse is going to be when you keep me up all night?" It was his turn to blush now, and she giggled at him.  
"I didn't mean it that way, Captain." He said, chuckling nervously. "And no, that's not gonna be my excuse."  
"Then what is?"  
"I dunno. I'll have to make one up." Corso concluded, pulling her up close to him. "But to be honest? I think you'll be the one keeping us up, not me."  
"I am offended that you'd think that!" The smuggler exclaimed dramatically, an eyebrow arching on the mercenary's brow.  
"I apologise ma'am, but I'm only tellin' you what I think." He said, grinning as Zavvi gave him a light-hearted shove.  
"You're awful." She turned her back to him, folding her arms and her bottom lip popping forward in a pout.

Corso rumbled with amusement, pulling her up close to his body and trailing his nose up her neck. He felt her shudder and he nuzzled her gently, grinning as a smile pulled at her lips.  
"Damnit, why can't I stay mad at you?" She grumbled.  
"'Cos you love me." The confidence in his voice made her sigh happily.  
"Yeah, and also because you don't stop trying to make me happy." She replied, her hand reaching behind her and after some groping that made Corso chuckle (she thankfully missed poking her fingers into his eyes and ears), she found what she wanted, and with a tug she was rewarded by the feeling of dreadlocks tumbling down against her skin.  
"That's what a man's supposed to do, Zee. He's supposed to make his lady feel special, to let her know that she means everything to him." Corso said wistfully, brushing some strands out of his face. Zavvi smiled at that.  
"You do a great job of that, Cor. Sometimes I feel like I don't deserve you, with the amount of love you give me."  
She felt his powerful muscles flex against her, a wisp of his strength so often hidden by how gentle he was. It provoked unwelcome thoughts, but she quickly shoved them aside.  
"You deserve the best Zee, and don't let anyone tell you otherwise." A barely-there kiss against a throat tattoo. "I love you so much, you mean everything to me. Don't ever bring yourself down, because you're, you're amazing. I'll follow you wherever you wanna go; back to Tatooine, into the caves of Hoth, blazes, I'd go all the way into the Void with you. And that's a promise."

"I know. It's just...I can't believe no-one ever found you first, you know? You're such a great man that any woman would be proud to be seen with and...And you came for me, of all people. It's...Hard to believe, but it's not like I'm not happy with it. Force, you're the only man I've ever loved, I'm not gonna let you go easily." Zavvi replied, finding it a little awkward to talk to him when his head was on her shoulder.  
"Good. You're the only lady I loved as well, Zee. So long as you want me to be with you, I'll do whatever I can for you." He replied, loving the warmth of her body against his. Of course, this gave certain parts of his anatomy ideas, which he strenuously tried to ignore, not knowing Zavvi was having to do the same with her body.  
The Twi'lek smuggler hummed her approval, and shifted slightly to get comfortable, accepting the fact she would have the human mercenary curled around her for much of the night. Not that she minded, though; he was warm and his embrace put her at so much ease she wondered if her mind could even try to conjure a dream; she figured it was so relaxed that it just couldn't be bothered to do anything more than sleep.

As her mind wandered (making sure to avoid the gaping hole of nothing), she found herself reminiscing on their first proper date together, where they'd gone to a cantina on Nar Shaddaa and spent the night talking and dancing. It had been a great night, though Zavvi had nearly ruined it by coming onto Corso and scaring him, which she was still a little bit guilty about even now. She hadn't behaved the best to him, when he'd been fairly good to her. The protective act had been over-the-top, but at least with a bit of shouting and minor heartbreak he'd learnt to tone it down, whilst she had continued to flirt and prod him when he was making it rather clear that he was in no mood to sleep with her.

She shoved those gloomy thoughts aside, and returned to thinking about the date. She remembered being surprised by how well he danced; Zavvi thought she would have to teach him, but he seemed to be more experienced than her! It raised an interesting question...

"Corso, you still awake?" She asked softly.  
"Mmm?" Was her answer, signalling he was still in the land of the conscious.  
She rolled over to face him, still wrapped up in his embrace so they were very close, and she inhaled Corso's scent with each breath; though mostly smothered in the stench of chemicals, she could smell the blaster ash, ozone and the cocktail of things she could never identify but just knew it was Corso's. It was rather earthy...Reminding her of the scent of the forests on Alderaan. And yet, as far as she knew about Ord Mantell, it was a collection of mesas, plains and geologically active volcanoes like the one on Avilatan.  
"Where did you learn to dance so well? I was just thinking of our date, and the fact you dance better than me. And the fact you never told me."  
Corso blushed, ducking his head shyly.  
"Oh, well, I uh...I didn't think it was important and I thought you'd be better than me anyway-"  
"Corso, I don't know much about relationships, but what I do know is we shouldn't keep secrets from each other." The sting of accusation was a little too harsh, and Zavvi regretted it when she saw the young man flinch. At his hurt expression, she softened. "And I should know about any talents you have, so you can show them off to me more."  
"It's not really a talent...But, well..." He hesitated, blushing brightly. "I've won a few competitions before...for dancin'."

Zavvi's eyes widened, her jaw falling open.  
"I'm sorry, did say you've won competitions because of your dancing?" Corso blushed all the harder.  
"Y-Yeah. I didn't wanna say anythin', 'cos I-I didn't want to sound like I was boastin' or anythin'..." He mumbled bashfully. The smuggler paused to let this sink in, before she grinned, snuggling back up into his body.  
"I think you're too humble, Corso. Guess I'm gonna have to put more practise into dancing if we're going to make it a regular thing. Can't be outshone by my farm boy, can I?" She giggled, feeling Corso's chuckle rumble in his chest.  
"If you say so, Captain." He replied, gently stroking a finger along her lekku, which made her shiver with delight.  
"I do. And if you keep doing that, I will have my way with you." Zavvi murmured, eyes closing as she enjoyed the stroking.  
"That before you fall asleep?" He asked, chuckling as he watched her melt beneath his finger.  
"Shurrup..." She growled, slinging an arm over him lazily and burying her nose into his chest. "Shurrup and go to sleep."  
"Okay then, Zavvi." Corso smiled. "Can I have a kiss from you before we go to sleep?"  
"Suppose I can do that..." She murmured, uncurling from his chest so he could kiss her gently, pouring in his love for her. Zavvi smiled as he moved away. "'Night, handsome."  
"Goodnight, beautiful." He replied, kissing her forehead as well.

As the couple settled against each other, enjoying the brief respite before the busy day ahead, both were safe in the knowledge that they were loved by the other, not matter what the galaxy had to say about it. They both drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep, though Zavvi felt something familiar in the back of her mind, and she smiled, knowing it was just her sister checking in. She idly wondered why her sister would be coming to Quesh too before she felt Corso shift against her and her mind succumbed to fatigue.


End file.
